Lupita Nyong'o and Gwendoline Christie Join 'Star Wars: Episode VII'

When the new “Star Wars” cast was announced, it was noticeably lacking in the lady department (adorable British newcomer Daisy Ridley was a notable exception). John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson and Max von Sydom dominated the conversation, leading a number of journalists and fans to wonder about the female quotient of this new “Star Wars” movie. Well, today, Lucasfilm and Disney announced that recent Oscar winner (and all-around guiding light) Lupita Nyong’o and Gwendoline Christie, from “Game of Thrones,” will be joining the cast of “Star Wars: Episode VII.” Hell yes.



“I could not be more excited about Lupita and Gwendoline joining the cast of Episode VII,” Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy in a statement released alongside the announcement. “It’s thrilling to see this extraordinarily talented ensemble taking shape.”



Yes, it really is thrilling. Nyong’o won an Oscar for her harrowing work in Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave,” and had a brief role in the slick Liam Neeson thriller “Non-Stop" earlier this year, while Christie continues her fine work as Brienne of Tarth on "Game of Thrones." (She’s the female knight who doesn’t take guff from anyone.) They will join the aforementioned new cast and old timers Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill, on the J.J. Abrams-directed film, which is currently shooting.



This being Abrams, it’s unclear whether or not Nyong’o and Christie will play bad guys, good guys, or droids. But what is clear is that whatever they do, they’ll knock it out of the park. They have certainly brought (gender) balance to the Force.



“Star Wars: Episode VII” opens on December 18^th, 2015.



Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images + Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images







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